Running Scared
by NoteEmmy
Summary: Kotsuzaka is trying to scrape together what little reputation he has left. Poking around graveyards Shaadi finds interest is a bad idea, though, and he gets more lesson than he was waiting on.


Graveyards were less guarded at night. It wasn't exactly the most ideal time to go around a creepy place but Kotsuzaka had found himself in trickier situations. Some had started to challenge his persona as a haunting child who felt most at peace around death, evil and scary things. Really, he didn't. But if he could see this through on his own he had a minute chance of regaining his reputation back. He didn't need those other idiots by his side for this one. They caused more trouble than they were worth anyway.

All he needed to was be spotted. After being thrown out though the only time he could go was the night. The gates weren't as locked as the gravekeepers like to think and there were holes in the fences and gates besides. Perfect enough for a few people to also slip in while trying to spot him. Good enough for him to find a grave that was isolated enough for him to feel save and sit on the headstone. He had even managed to scare a few kids younger than him.

The night was going well. Soon he'd be able to enter the tournament coming up next month and people would remember his name for once. He wouldn't just be part of Keith's gang or hanging by a thread with the other two after stumbling all the way back to Japan. It made sense that this was what he had to do.

At least it had in the beginning. It was approaching quite late in the earliest of morning hours. The stars and moon had disappeared from the sky and it was pitch black all around him. He shivered, freezing in the night cold. The thought of going home came to him. No more punks would be out here to spot him at this time anyway. Going home sounded like a safe bet.

Kotsuzaka was a minute too late in his thoughts. The air around the entire cemetery seemed to light up with a soft blue glow. He thought someone was playing tricks on him at first until it all died down. Only for a few seconds, anyway, until a ball formed and slowly hovered its way closer and closer. He was frozen solid on his makeshift seat, sure he was about to die. This was what he got for messing around and disrespecting the dead. This would be his final punishment for sure.

The ball of light got closer before veering to just a grave left of him. Despite knowing that he should go now, that he should leave and probably never return, he just couldn't. He sat there, watching. Perhaps he thought that if he turned his back to run it would come after him. Kill him. Possess him. Any number of things that spirits did when angered and he just couldn't shake it off long enough to move.

Slowly a form began to show through the light, ghostly as anything else here. The figure was draped in white which made it harder to tell which parts of him were clothed and which ones were just ghostly. The boy still sat in fear and watched as the, now as he could tell was man, kneel besides a small grave marker. It was a more recent one, fresh, and had some flowers resting over it. He'd overlooked it as it wasn't an ideal place for him to sit, being just a marker. No body there.

He was blue in the face now, shivering yet paralyzed, watching this ghost man pray it looked like, murmuring a language he could hear but not decipher. And then the worst thing of the night happened. Hollow blue eyes in that see-through face looked up to meet his and he felt something strike deeply through him.

"You should not disrespect the dead." The voice echoed, sounding like it was resounding even inside his head.

"I-I-I-" He couldn't seem to say anything. This was definitely a vengeful spirit. And it was going to kill him.

The ghost stood, coming closer, eying him. "This marker means something. If you come near it again there will be consequences." It wasn't just a soft promise, it was a very serious threat. Kotsuzaka could feel it down to his bones. The hand reached for him, wrapping around his neck before somehow gaining enough pressure to shove him off the grave he was sitting on. "Leave now."

He found enough incentive through his fear to get his legs working so he could high tail it out of there, screaming the entire way. With the boy gone from staring Shaadi found it much easier to kneel at the small grave site marker now and pray in peace. Traces of his body started to vanish, as they always did, once the morning sun rose. He was more ghost than he ever had been, left wishing he could feel the rays prickling on his skin and warming him.

All he was left with was bitter cold. Reaching forward before vanishing completely his fingers traced over the delicate and fine lettering.

_A-T-E-M_

It was memory enough.


End file.
